Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2008-09: Alexei Marchenko skated for CSKA Moscow’s club in Russia’s third league as well as competing for the Russian 1992-born squad in international competition. He represented Russia at the 2009 U17 World Hockey Challenge and had 3 assists with 10 PMs in five games.

2009-10: Appeared in 43 games for CSKA’s junior team (in the MHL) and posted 11 goals and 23 points as well as going scoreless in a pair of post season tilts for the club. He also had 10 KHL appearances for CSKA and failed to register a point. He went undrafted in his first year of eligibility.

2010-11: Produced at over a point per game (38 points in 36 games) for CSKA’s junior club, along with 3 goals and 8 assists in 15 playoff games. He also played in 23 KHL contests for CSKA notching 2 assists in the process.

2011-12: Marchenko skated in six games for CSKA Moscow in the KHL and was impressive in the MHL (Russian U22 league) playoffs after missing most of the season, including the 2012 U20 World Junior Championship, due to a knee injury. He was scoreless and minus-four with 2 penalty minutes in his brief KHL stint. He skated in five regular season games for CSKA-Red Army in the MHL, scoring 2 goals with 4 assists and was plus-two with 10 penalty minutes. Marchenko was the leading scorer amongst defensemen for CSKA-Red Army in the playoffs, finishing with 4 goals and 14 assists. The defending Kharlamov Cup champions, CSKA-Red Army was defeated by Omskie Yastrebi in the MHL finals.

2012-13: Marchenko played 44 games for CSKA Moscow in his first full KHL season. He scored 4 goals with 5 assists and was -3 with 6 penalty minutes; averaging 13 minutes of ice time per game. CSKA finished first in the Tarasov Division and swept Lev Praha before falling to Dynamo Moscow in the West Conference semifinals. Marchenko saw limited ice time in seven playoff games; finishing -1 with no points nor penalty minutes. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Detroit in May, 2013.

2013-14: Marchenko made his first NHL appearance with Detroit in a January 4th game at Dallas and played for Red Wings’ AHL affiliate Grand Rapids in his first season in North America. He was +2 with no points nor penalties in 13:21 minutes of ice time in his only NHL game. Marchenko scored 3 goals with 15 assists and was +11 with 14 penalty minutes in 49 regular season AHL games; suffering a season-ending lower leg injury at the end of February. The Griffins finished second in the Midwest Division and reached the second round in the playoffs.

2014-15: Marchenko skated in 12 games with the Red Wings after being recalled in late January — scoring his first NHL goal against Nashville on February 28th in his final game with Detroit before being returned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He also had 1 assist and was -1 with 2 penalty minutes, averaging 15 minutes of ice time during his stint with the Red Wings. Marchenko, after recuperating from his injury, scored 3 goals with 17 assists and was among the team leaders for the Griffins at in plus/minus (+22), accumulating 26 penalty minutes in 51 regular season games. The Griffins and Rockford were the top two teams in the AHL’s Midwest Division.

Talent Analysis

Marchenko is a very aggressive player, a strong skater, and one who projects long term as more of a defensive defenseman. He put up points in the lower levels, however his style of play is more suited to a shut down, physical role than one of a player who will excel offensively. There is some scoring ability, as evidence by his MHL totals, but it’s not the defining trait of his game. Has shown an increased ability to read plays and make breakout passes from his own zone.

Future

Marchenko had a 12-game stint with the Red Wings, scoring his first NHL goal; spending most of the 2014-15 season with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. While his offensive game is limited, he appears close to being an NHL regular in the near future. Long-term Marchenko projects to being a sound middle pairing defensive defender who can contribute to the attack at times.

Boasting one of the deepest, if not the most talented, group of prospects in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings are set up for sustained success. Despite the recent prospect graduations of Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Jurco, the Wings pipeline still features the AHL’s leading scorer, one of college hockey’s most explosive players, as well as an abundance of defensive depth.

Though the 2014-15 Detroit Red Wings roster is the youngest on average in some time, it is a team that has received little contribution from first-year players. Instead, increased roles have been given to players like Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. Relative health has also limited the amount of games available for young prospects in Grand Rapids, but a few have made notable contributions.

Photo: Los Angeles Kings prospect Nick Shore recently received his first call up to the NHL. Shore was picked by the Kings in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to the January 2015 edition of On the Rush, a monthly column featuring prospects at various levels of competition who are either exceeding expectations or falling a little behind.

Photo: Columbus Blue Jackets rookie goaltender Anton Forsberg recently received his first NHL start but has spent most of the the 2014-15 season with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons (courtesy of Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

The farther down the NHL Draft order you go, the less chance you have of ever playing in the NHL, let alone being productive. It gets to the point where, come the seventh round, only the most die-hard of fans have heard of you, and the most common reaction to your draft announcement is, “who?”. Read more»

Photo: Riley Sheahan’s two-way play has earned him a spot in Detroit’s bottom-six forwards for the 2014-15 season (courtesy of Scott Grau/Icon Sportswire)

It has been a gradual change, but the draft picks that have been laying in wait for the Detroit Red Wings have started to make their impact on the team’s NHL roster. As some graduate to the NHL others have filled their spots in the AHL, leaving Detroit’s system very top-heavy with prospects playing professionally.